Slack adjuster for conveyers



Feb. 17, 1953 A. sHAclKoskl 2,523,707

SLACK ADJUSTER FOR CONVEYERS Filed Oct. 28, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Fig.

Anthony .Shac/kos/u' INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 17, 1953 UNITED S EA'EES PATENT OFFICE 2,628,707 SIIACKAD'ZTU S TER FOR: CONVEYER'S Anthony Shacikoski, Avonmore,.P-a.--

Application Octobe'FZS, 1949, Serial No; 124 ;09 7,

This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in conveyors andtheprimary object' of thepresent invention is to' provideaslack'adjuster for conveyors.

Another important objectof the present inven tion. is to provide aslackadjuster'for conveyors, drive-chains, belts and the like, including; alaterally' movable and rotatable roller and a manually'actuated jack-foradjustingthe roller to re'-- move the slack from a member traine'dthereabout-.

A furtherobj'ect' of the present inventionis to provide a tail endstructure for conveyors including a. laterally adjustableroller and awear.- plate movable with the roller. for slidably supporting: avconveyor associated with the: roller;

Astill further aim of the present invention to: provide a slack.adjuster; that is simple; and. practicalin construction, strong andreliable in. use,.efficientiand.durable in operation, small and compactin. structure, relatively inexpensive; to'

manufacture, and otherwise welladapted-for the purposes for which thesame is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully. hereinafter described: and claimed, refer--encez being. had to the accompanying; drawings:

formingpart hereof, wherein like numeralsmefer. torlike partsthroughout; and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the present-inven;

tion;

Figure 2 is. a sideelevational viewof" Figurell; Figure 3.- is alongitudinal vertical sectional view taken. substantially onv the planeof section.-

line;3--3.of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional viewtakensubstantiallyeontheplane of section line 4-4' Figure 1',

Referring now to the drawings in detail, where- 1 in for the purpose ofillustration, there is dis closed a preferredembodiment of. therpresentinlvention, the numeral l represents. an elongatedsubstantiallyv channel. shaped supportincluding a web portion or bottom'wall 12 an'dspa'ced parallel legportions or side walls l4 and lfi tl'iat' and 40- that receive the edges-defining the" slots- 26 and 28. Thebearings are removable from the:side walls when the bearings are movedto the enlarged end portions 30 and 3-2 of the slots- 26 and 28.

The end portions of a shaft or roller 42 are received within. thebearings 34 and 3B for rotation and a gear or sprocket 44 is keyed onthe central portion-of theshaft- 42 for rotation therewith;

Spacer collars or sleeves 4.6 ande48l'are journaledon the shaft 42betweenthe gear. 44. and the-bearings.34 and. 36. Aiwear. plate 50is-fixed on.the upper surfaces: of: the sleeves; 46 and 48.

The" wear plate 5.0.: is; provided.- with a notch- 52 forreceivingthegear 44; A cross plate-5.4 is fixed between the sidewalls.lit-and: l6 above-'the'forward. upwardly and: forwardly inclinedforward. endportion 56-ofthebottom wall l2 and slidably supportsthewearplate 50.-

The 5 plate I 54 includes 1 outwardly and upwardly sloping side portions58 having upper flanges 60 that rest uponthe upper edges of the sidewalls 14' and l6,.as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The rear portion of the plate :54 is provided with anopening 62extending. pastthe gear 44 and which opening is. partially closed I bythe plate 50. Themovable-feed shaft 64 of the jack 24 is providedwithaheadv 66 having? a recess for ,receiving-ia' flexible: element orcable68.

10 and: 12 are formed atthe ends of the flexible Loops element'throughthe mediumof cable clamps I4 and 1.6;.and the loops l0'and12' receivethe bearingsr 34 and36rso that. as the jack 24' is actuate'dby' a handlever 18;.the bearings" 34' and 36, and the shaft-42 will be movedtoward the rearwall I8 Means is. provided for limiting: sliding. move--ment of the bearings. and the shaftv away from- 1 therearfwall: I8.This. means consists of a; pair of upper and lower platessw and. 82:that are fixed to-the-sidewalls-I4 and [6a The bearings 34- andt36are-slidably received between the plates Bll and 82-.- The? plates. 80.?and 82 are-provided with: longitudinally! displaced apertures: 84:thatselectivelyrec'eiveiabutmentmembers or stop pins The-pins: 86 are:secured to: thesidewalls.

86 by flexiblei members: or chains 88.

A cross bar so having upwardly: extending I end portions 92 issecuredtothejundersurface of the"- portion 56to-prevent overtipp'ing ofthe mem In practical use- 0f the present inventlon a conveyor '(-hotshown)' or 'drive chain or belt is?- trained about the gear 44 and theupper flight 3 of the conveyor rides upon the wear plate 50. Byactuating the jack 24, the shaft 42 will be moved relative to the rearwall [8 to remove the slack from the conveyor.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of theconstruction, operation and advantages of the device will be quiteapparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description isaccordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is understood, however, that even though there is herein shown anddescribed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A slack adjuster for conveyors, said slack adjuster comprising asupport including a pair of spaced side walls, a conveyor receivingroller slidably carried by said side Walls, a jack mounted on saidsupport and disposed perpendicular to said roller, said jack including afeed shaft, an elongated flexible element trained over the feed shaft ofthe jack and terminally secured to the ends of the roller, upper andlower plates secured to each of said walls, said roller having endportions received between said upper and lower plates, said plateshaving longitudinally spaced apertures, and stop pins received inselected of said apertures and engaging the roller throughout adjustmentof the roller for limiting sliding movement of said roller away fromsaid jack and for retaining the roller in an adjusted position.

2. A slack adjuster for conveyors, said slack adjuster comprising achannel shaped support including a web portion and a pair of spaced legportions joined by said web portion, said leg porbetween said bearingsand said gear, a cross plate 1 fixed between said leg portions andspaced above and parallel to said web portion, said cross plate beingspaced from said shaft, a wear plate secured to said sleeves andslidably mounted on said cross plate, said wear plate having a notchreceiving said gear, a rear wall joining said leg portions, 2. jackmounted on said rear wall and including a feed shaft, a flexible elementextending about the feed shaft of said jack and terminally secured tosaid bearings, and adjustable stop means adjustably carried by said legportions and engaging said bearings for limiting sliding movement ofsaid bearings and said shaft away from said rear wall and for retainingthe bearing adjusted by said jack.

' 3. A slack adjuster for conveyors comprising a channel shaped supportincluding a web portion and a pair of leg portions joined by said webportion, said leg portions having elongated registering slots therein,said slots having enlarged rear ends, a pair of bearings slidablyreceived in said slots and having peripheral grooves accommodating thelong edges of the slot, said bearings being removable from the legportions through the enlarged ends of the slots, a shaft extendingbetween the leg portions and having ends received in the bearings, aconveyor receiving gear fixed on the shaft and disposed between andspaced from the bearings, and means connected to the bearings foradjusting the shaft within the slots.

4. A slack adjuster for conveyors comprising a channel shaped supportincluding a web portion and a pair of leg portions joined by said webportion, said leg portions having elongated registering slots therein,said slots having enlarged rear ends, a pair of bearings slidablyreceived in said slots and having peripheral grooves accommodating thelong edges of the slot, said bearings being removable from the legportions through the enlarged ends of the slots, a shaft extendingbetween the leg portions and having ends received in the bearings, aconveyor receiving gear fixed on the shaft and disposed between andspaced from the bearings, upper and lower strips fixed to each legportion above and below the slots in the leg portions, each of saidstrips having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apertures thereinwith the apertures in the upper strips being in registry with theapertures in the lower strips, said bearings extending between saidupper and lower strips, a pin attached to each leg portion and extendingthrough selected registering apertures in the upper and lower strips,said bearings abutting said pins, and jack means at the rear of thesupport and connected to both bearings for adjusting the bearings andhence the shaft toward the rear end of the support.

5. A slack adjuster for conveyors comprising a channel shaped supportincluding a web portion and a pair of leg portions joined by said webportion, said leg portions having elongated registering slots therein,said slots having enlarged rear ends, a pair of bearings slidablyreceived in said slots and having peripheral grooves accommodating thelong edges of the slot, said bearings being removable from the legportions through the enlarged ends of the slots, a shaft extendingbetween the leg portions and having ends received in the bearings, aconveyor receiving gear fixed on the shaft and disposed between andspaced from the bearings, said support including forward and rear ends,a cross plate fixed to and extending between the leg portions at theforward end of the support and paralleling the web portion, a wear plateoverlying the cross plate, sleeves surrounding the shaft, said wearplate being secured to said sleeves and having a slot accommodating thegear, said support ineluding a rear end wall, a jack secured to andprojecting laterally from said end wall, and a flexible element trainedover the jack and secured to said bearings for adjusting the bearingsand hence the shaft toward said end wall.

ANTHONY SHACIKOSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 412,847 Healea Oct. 15, 18891,060,154 Bates Apr. 29, 1913 2,257,758 Murch Oct. 7, 1941 2,386,619Long et al. Oct. 9, 1945 2,493,333 Baehr Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 30,998 Germany Sept. 20, 1884

